New York Man Arrested on Rape Charge

East Hampton Town Police and county detectives converged on a rented house in the Dune Alpin section of East Hampton.
Doug Kuntz

Update #2 (8/24/2013):

On Saturday, The Star updated reporting on this unfolding situation, with a separate story that can be found on the home page of this Web site.

Jason Lee, 37, of New York City, a financial services manager for Goldman Sachs since 1998, was arrested Tuesday by East Hampton Town police on a charge of first-degree rape.

Brought into court in handcuffs later that day, he stood before Town Justice Catherine Cahill as Dan Cronin, a Suffolk County assistant district attorney, asked that bail be set at $25,000. Mr. Lee’s wife was in the courtroom, along with many members of his family.

“He adamantly denies these allegations,” Edward Burke Jr., his attorney, told Justice Cahill. Mr. Burke did not identify the defendant’s employer, saying only that he worked “at 200 West Street” in Manhattan. That address is better known as the Goldman Sachs Tower.

A receptionist at Goldman confirmed that a Jason Lee does work there, noting that “there are at least two” men named Jason Lee employed by the firm. Mr. Cronin said the case would be presented to a grand jury quickly. Town police have not commented on it officially. No press statement has been issued. (Please see update below.)

“The matter is still under investigation. It is a fluid situation,” Detective Lt. Chris Anderson said yesterday. However, a police source who asked not to be identified said that the alleged crime happened at a Monday night or early Tuesday pool party, which apparently involved nudity, at a rented house on Clover Leaf Lane in East Hampton.

The court set bail at $20,000. Mr. Burke told Justice Cahill that it would be posted immediately. The family went into a side courtroom and sat down together. The court clerks were handed a manila envelope shortly after. Emily Grunewald, a clerk of the court, pulled a stack of cash from the envelope and patiently counted out $20,000 while Mr. Lee waited in the courthouse holding cell. Nicole Shipman, another clerk, counted it a second time.

With the bail money counted out, the clerks signed off on a document and the accused man was set loose. He was with his family afterward when they met for half an hour with Mr. Burke.

Justice Cahill set a nominal return date of Sept. 19 in East Hampton Justice Court, but if an indictment is obtained, Mr. Lee’s next appearance will be in criminal court in Riverhead.

Update #1:

In a press statement released Thursday afternoon, East Hampton Town police said that the alleged victim was a 20-year-old woman and that she had been sexually assaulted inside the house, identified as Mr. Lee's, "where several people had gathered." According to the statement, police had been called there after a report of a disturbance that came in to dispatchers at 6:37 a.m. Tuesday.

They said that their investigation was ongoing and that anyone with information about the matter should phone them at 631-537-7575.